chelle's blog

Has it really been three weeks since I last posted here?

It's truly amazing how time flies!

The early seedlings are growing like crazy and I have veggies that need to be started, so this week I'm concentrating on sorting them all out and up-potting.

I lost several varieties of poppies and some of the pre-sprouted seeds due to wild temperature fluctuations in the SpringHouse, so I need to sow some replacements. I may direct sow some tomorrow since the weatherman is hinting that we may get some much-needed rain in the afternoon.

 Here's a few pictures of the wildly overgrown seedlings that are waiting to be thinned, some *salad* trays, and some up-potted seedlings awaiting the last frost.

That last photo of

looks like it's about ready to eat, doesn't it? ;-)

I'm happy with progress so far, but I really need to plant some of these out; I'm running out of room:-)

I up-potted about three dozen plants today, and started soaking seeds for these veggies and herbs:

Frost is forecasted for Thursday night.

[Added these late - would have been about week  4]

Germinated and growing:

Penstemon barbatus - Cambridge Mix
Cosmos bipinniatus - Sea Shells Blend
Dahlia variabilis - Stargazer Mix
Cosmos - Vega Red

Gentiana Quinquefolia - Stiff Gentian
Iris Missouriensis (transferred outdoors from 3 weeks of heat treatment)
Salvia uliginosa - Bog Sage
Phlox - Tall Grandiflora Mixed
Silphium perfoliatum - Cup Plant (1) (the other seedling rotted)
Salvia Tiliifolia - Tarahumara Chia

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                                       Greenhouse Mouse

Just about the time you think that things are going your way, and life seems simple and good, along comes a fly in the ointment. It seems that a mouse or two decided that an open bag of vermiculite stored over the winter in the greenhouse would be a fine place for a seed stash. Last fall I’d carried some cleome plant stalks inside to collect seeds out of the weather and once finished, I left the remainder in a large tub, meaning to dispose of them later. Not! I must have forgotten they were there.

As my seedlings began to show true leaves I began to feel a vague sense of apprehension; just why do so many of these seedlings look the same?

LOL! Greenhouse Mouse and easily germinated cleome seeds!!! It appears that a fair portion of the sprouts that I had marked here as germinated, actually were not at the time. In this first portion of seed containers I’d used compromised vermiculite to cover my seeds; unknowingly also adding cleome seeds to each one! So, several hundred extra cleome seedlings later, I’m back to the old drawing board. I now need to take stock of which seeds actually are not up yet, and change my records.

Bleh!

Beginning today at 34 degrees Fahrenheit; I’m almost afraid to peek in on the seedlings left outdoors.

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Recent arrivals -

Papaver paeoniflorum "Black Peony"
Teucrium hircanicum
Achillea ptarmica nana compacta
Tanacetum parthenium
Orlaya grandiflora - White Lace Flower
Geum coccineum - reddish/orange
Delphinium consolida - Parisian Pink Larkspur
Dephinium ajacis - Kingsize Scarlet
Scutelaria incana
Hollyhock - Burgundy
Candytuft - Dwarf Fairy Mix
Love-in-a-mist, Persian Jewels
Basil - Dark Opal
Phlox - Twinkle Dwarf Star Mixed
Red Butterfly Weed

All on one very good sprout-day!

Other winter sown arrivals -

Dactylorhiza fuchsii - Spotted Marsh Orchid (?) (hopefully!)

Illinois Bundleflower
Maximillian Sunflower
Blackberry Lily
Callirhoe involucrata - Winecups
Heliopsis helianthoids - Early Sunflower
Dill - Dukat
Parsley - Italian Flat-leaved
Papaver paeoniflorum "Candy Floss"
Monarda punctata

Asclepias incarnata - Milkmaid White
Inula helenium - Elcampane
Lavendula - Sancho Panza
Camassia leichtlinii - Greater Camas
Geum Triflorum - Prairie Smoke
Camassia scilloides - Wild Hyacinth
Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra - Yellow Ox-eye
Helianthus laetiflorus - Showy Sunflower 

Camassia leichtlinii - Greater Camas
Pandorea jasminoides - Variegated Bower Vine
Echinacea purpurea - White Swan
Anemone sylvestris - Madonna Snowdrop
Actinomeris alternifolia - Wingstem

Pre-sprouted and planted -

Lisianthus - Echo Yellow
Telekia speciosa
Tanacetum parthenium - Feverfew
Ipomopsis rubra - Standing Cypress
Gentiana andrewsii - Closed Gentian (trial only)
Glycyrrhiza lepidota - Wild Licorice
Glebionis coronarium - Crown Daisy
Lobelia - Blue Wings
Lunaria biennis
Collinsia heterophylla - Chinese Houses
Petunia - Easy Wave Beachcomber
Nemesia cheiranthus - Shooting Stars
Nemophila discoidalis - Pennie Black

Note: I've found that several varieties of the earliest sprouts did succumb to freezing temperatures; however, there are still new sprouts coming up in most of those containers. Yay!

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My first ever mail order from Gardens of the Blue Ridge seems to be pretty good; however, the plant (Showy Orchid) I based the order on wasn't shipped. They didn't mark it as a backorder, just said "unavailable":-(

They did ship the rest of the order as I requested. The plants were well packed with (mostly) organic materials and weren't soggy. Nice!

Extra plant tags were included, but just for the potted plants - not the bagged roots.

Dormant bagged roots seemed to be acceptable in size, and appeared to be healthy.

All in all, okay - but just okay; nothing to really set them apart from many other mail order suppliers.

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75 or so varieties up and growing, but currently very busy with Mom's recovery period. Today was a PT day, so I need to be brief.

Newest additions -

Achillea ptarmica - The Pearl
Papaver somniferum - Danish Flag
Onobrychis viciifolia - 2nd sowing - presprouted
Lupinus Agustifolius - 2nd sowing - presprouted

Corydalis Nobilis

Salvia nemorosa - Caradonna
Papaver somniferum - Single Scarlet
CA. poppy - Thai Silk Pink Champagne
Papaver paeoniflorum - Flemish Antique
Stachys recta

Ribes rubrum alba
Clarkia Amonea - Aurora
Aster - Perfection
Aster - Princess Mixed
Fringed Pinks - Double Gaiety - Mixed

Salvia coccinea - Coral Nymph, Red with white
Berlandiara lyrata - Chocolate Daisy
Mache macholong - Cornsalad
Verbena bonariensis
Zinnia - Cactus Flowered Mix

Lacy Phacelia
Nemophilla menziessi - Baby Blue Eyes
Layia - Tidy Tips
Viola Witt. - Frz. Siz Yellow/blue Swirl

Salvia lyrata (questionable viability)
Dianthus - Carnation, King of Blacks (extras)
Viola - Brush Strokes
Lisianthus eustoma - My Blue

Nicotiana sylvetris - strong scented (from Jonna, 100% germination! )
Nicotiana sanderae - Fragrant Cloud (from Allison, 100% germination! )
Salvia coccinea - Snow Nymph
Panicum miliaceum - Wild Proso Millet
Crepis rubra - Red hawksbeard
Origanum vulgare - Oregano, Wild Marjoram

Nemesia - Blue and White (2)
Calceolaria mexicana - Slipperwort (half)
Viola - Sorbet Citrus Mix
Phlox - Promise Mix (half) (2)

Red NoId Salvia

Penstemon - Electric Blue

Aruncus Dioicus

Verbena hastata alba

Penstemon mexicali

Clematis alpina - Blue
Echinacea tennessensis

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